Coming to you live from Orelliot Avenue Studios of Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. This is Sounders Weekly with your host Jackson Felts.
Good eight and everybody, welcome into Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feltz here talkin' Seattle Sounders FC soccer for the next hour here on ninety three point three KJRFM, and it is playoff time for your Sounders. They have finished the regular season. They finished it in fourth place in the Western Conference and there's a lot to break down over what happened there at the very end of the regular season this
last weekend. Unfortunately, it is a one to one draw against the Portland Timbers, which means that Cascadia Cup went down to Portland. It did not end up here because the Sounders needed to win. It also means that the Sounders have not yet guaranteed themselves a CONCACAF Champions Cup spot for twenty twenty five. They can still get that if any number of I think like eight TOFF teams win MLS Cup, the Sounders would get a conka CAF Champions Cup spot, but that has yet to be gained.
So listen. At the end of the day, we're looking at a situation for Seattle where because of that draw, because of an RSL win, Sounders end up in fourth place. Now that's not the only bad news. Yes, we have to face the number five seed. But it's what happened in the rest of the games that is really kind of the gut punch. Because once the game was over, Sounders Timbers, and we went to final whistle and we
all knew we were the four seed. Everything at that moment was kind of just all right, we're frustrated, but we got it. It's Minnesota gonna be the four or five game the Minnesota United. We were in the five seed in the moment, and we're gonna have to be going through the LA Galaxy in the Western semi final.
All of that I think was at least for me, like saying, all right, Minnesota has a terrible record against the Sounders, and moreover, the sound was just a couple months ago beat the LA Galaxy, and I think we match up better with the Galaxy than LAFC. So great, we can make it to the one four game in the West semi and we can make it throw one off against the Galaxy on the road where we've beaten them before we beat them down in LA last year.
We only lost in LA earlier this year because of like a third minute goal by Gabrielle Peck that really, you know, was just a defensive and goalkeeping mistake in the third minute. So all of this to say, I think the Sounders were looking really you know, I was looking positively at a chance to do a four seed versus one seed game in LA against the Galaxy, and
then everything changed. So what happened was this, when our game ended, about almost thirty seconds after we went final whistle, the LA Galaxy scored on Houston to make it a one to one game. Because of that one to one result, LA Galaxy were back to being the number one seed, Minnesota was back to being the five seed, and we
were looking at the situation that I just presented. So when we went to final whistle, I'm like, all right, bring on Minnesota, bring on the Galaxy the next round, let's go to a West final.
Let's do this.
And then in the one hundred and second minute, Daniel Starez, a defender for the Houston Dynamo, headed in a goal for them, and that gave them a two to one win. In the final seconds so the fallout from that goal is massive, and not only for the Sounders. The fallout is massive across the entire Western Conference because Houston, with that win, the two to one win at the death one hundred and second minute on decision Day, that vaults
them to the number five seed. So it means Sounders versus Houston, Okay, first, not optimal because Houston, the Sounders just beat them one to nothing in Seattle three and a half weeks ago, but they didn't have Hector Herrera. They will have Hector Herrera in the first game of the playoffs and all these playoff games as long as he's healthy. Hector Herra is back and he's a very very good player. So you know, I want to talk to Ario LULINOI, who's coming up in a few minutes
about this. But of the three teams the Sounders could have faced, Minnesota, Colorado and Houston, Houston was the team I wanted to face the least, and we have to face Houston. But that's not all. Because Houston beat the La Galaxy and because LAFC won by two plus goals, that meant that the Galaxy dropped the number one seed in the West and LAFC rose to the number one seed, So that means if the Sounders do get past Houston, we have to face LAFC in the second round of
the playoffs. They are those West Semis and listen, we all know the history. LAFC knocked us out of the playoffs last year in the West Semis. Well, actually, LAFC knocked us out of the playoffs last year in the West Semis. LAFC knocked us out of League's Cup. LFC knocked us out of Open Cup. It was like, you know what, two games in less than two weeks. So
we know the history. LAFC is our bugaboo, and we seemed potentially to be on a collision course with them again if LAFC can get past the winner of Vancouver and Portland, which kicks off there in about thirty minutes. So all of this to say, we went from having to look at Minnesota and the Galaxy having to look at Houston and LAFC. That's not great, Bob and I for one, it's just it's really unfortunate. And then to
make matters worse, Obed Vargas got his red card. I believe that means that he is suspended for this first game of the Houston series. I want to clarify that with Ari as well. But listen, none of this is optimal. And you know in the game itself, losing obed, losing Cascadia Cup, not securing a CCC spot, and then you have to face Houston and LAFC in the playoffs, that's
your bracket. None of this is optimal. Like really, we can all be real with ours and be a little bit frustrated at the situation, but it is what it is, and the Sounders have their road and we can only hope that the defense continues to perform at the level it has one goal conceded in the last four games. The offense comes together, we get a Paul Rothrock resurgence, he gets back to how he was playing. Peter de
Lavega integrates, you know, continues to integrate. I thought he played well, but not well enough clearly for the Sounders to get that second goal. So we just need the offense to come together and really fire on all cylinders. We need the defense to keep performing the way it is and maybe then we have a shot. But everybody is going to need to play their best in order to a get past Houston and b get past LAFC,
Which yeah, I mean in a few weeks. If we're previewing that game on this show, that's gonna be a mother. So we'll talk about that when the time comes. First things first, and that is Houston. We will spend a lot of time previewing Houston. We get it take from Ari lullienwall in a little bit on the Dynamo, but really we're gonna have a deep opponent outlook later tonight
with our good friend Hajesus Osceveto Junior. Hayesus used to join me for lots of Sounders weekly interviews when we did the thing kind of going around from city to city, and he writes for the Bayou City and he covers the Dynamo down there in Houston, and I'm really interested to get his take on this Dynamo team coming to town in this three game series. For schedule wise, we should go over this schedule. Game one is next Monday. It's not over the weekend. It's a Monday game for
the Sounders here on October twenty eight. It will be a six o'clock Providence, Swedish premat show kickoff coming right around six twenty five. You can watch that MLS season pass on Apple TV. You can listen in Spanish like Bunch on l Ray thirteen sixty. But again we will have that here in English radio Sports Radio nine fifty km nine to fifty AM for Sounders and Dynamo game one this coming Monday. Game two will then be on
the following Sunday, November three. That's gonna be down in Houston with a three thirty Pacific time kick and then if necessary, if it's one to one, and by the way, it's a full penalty kick situation, so if it goes tied and then we go to penalties winner if penalties wins the game, so that's how that works. If game three is necessary, that would be then on the next Sunday,
November tenth, at a four pm kickoff. Of course, station assignments to come later on for those, but Game one will be here at Luminfield this coming Monday, again six o'clock pre match six to twenty five kickoff Sounders Dynamo Game one. We'll preview that later tonight after the Timbers game, after the Sounders got a one to one draw, obviously,
the locker room was not feeling very good. But had the chance to go in there and talk to Alex Droldon, Alex who of course started and played in that Portland match, and his take on the game, Houston coming up, what he saw from the officiating, and of course just kind of the mood in the locker room. So here was my conversation after the one to one draw with Alex rolled on.
Yeah, we're frustrated. I think we played a good first half. You know, we shut them down, they didn't really have any chances, we got the goal we needed, and then rolling into the second half just turned into a chaotic game. Again, we had chances, we didn't put them away, and you know that kind of puts pressure on our defense for to stop a counter and unfortunately they were.
Able to score that. So a bit frustrated, but.
Nonetheless, you know, we got to keep our heads high and focus on the playoffs.
Now that chaotic nature they're in the second half. Obviously they get that counter that one, but on the offensive minute, how did you see that kind of chaok nature come out? You know before going down a man I should mention, you know, in not getting that second goal.
Yeah, I think I think before all that happened and we had some clear, you know, one B one chances, a couple that that we got Roston went to the back post, and so some half chances. But I think, you know, the main message I think that we're focusing on is, you know, how do we close out games, especially now rolling into the playoffs.
We've done a good job here at.
Home of gaining the lead, but it's it's it sometimes becomes a habit where we we kind of revert to how do we protect this lead instead of, you know, really put our foot on the gas and finish the game. So I think that's the message moving up forward is how can we truly put games away before we get to the sixty minute mark?
You know, So that's that's the message here.
I don't want to get in trouble here, but one of the things we were talking about, me and Brad Evans on the post game show was how it seemed like you guys had a lot of chances to keep going if fouls were cold, advantage was not played. Was that frustrating for you having to, you know, be part of that where it just feels like you guys have a chance to counter and go forward and get a goal. But the play stops.
I mean, yeah, certainly, there's there's always that that outside factor that's gonna you know, the determined the flow of the game. I won't say that it determined the result of the game, but it determines the flow of the game.
You know, we're really putting our foot on the gas.
Trying to trying to you know, ride tackles, and then once we ride them and we get that second chance to play on, you know, we're going to continue to do that. We had a few chances to do that to really counter them, you know, what could have been a three.
V one chance or two v one chance. So it's certainly frustrating.
We're not putting the blame on that, but it definitely disrupts the flow. And uh, you know, for these derby games especially, we need people who who can really control the game. Just just because they're derby games, they become chaotic, they become hectic, and so that's definitely a determined determining factor of how the game is played out.
And I imagine extra frustration and extra anger coming of the fact that Cascadia Cup goes to them.
Yeah, certainly that's not something that we want to give up. We had the chance to do it, We were in control of the game. One slip up, one counter, and you know it's it's an unfortunate result for us now. But again, we got to keep our heads high. We you know, we've we've crawled back from terrible position that we were in in the front half of the season, and so there's a lot of positive things we still
need to look at. And you know, we're trying to roll into playoffs and with some confidence and you know, try to overcome this and keep this rolling.
Houston Dynamo team that you guys faced here three weeks ago, one one nothing, three weeks ago. What do you remember about the Houston Dynamo and challenges for the first round?
Yeah, I think you know, they're they're a really good possession based team, really good attacking half.
So our defense is gonna put up to a big challenge.
But I think again, if we play a solid half of both defense and offense, I think it's an it's gonna really help us. If we can close out a game by the sixty seventieth minute marks, it's where it's going to become crucial for us, especially leading in the playoffs. You know, it's always a it's always anyone's game. So I think the emphasis is is how do we close out games earlier?
The weirdness of the first round where it's like a three game series and then following rounds are one game. I know steph Over there has been pretty vocal about how much he doesn't like it. Well, how do you feel about it?
Yeah?
I think it's it's it's un orthodox for sure, playing the same team potentially three times in the first round and then go to single elimination makes no sense. But again, those are the cards that we're dealt with, and so we got to put up with it. We got to face the same team and try to close it all into and hopefully move forward.
Does an eye at all go to what a second round would look like l EFC Portland Vancouver at all? Does it? Do you even give an eye to what that would look like? Or is it all both eyes on Houston?
I think our focus is Houston. You know we overcome them.
They're not an easy team and you know they're going to be a big challenge, so I think our focus needs to be primarily on them.
It's good stuff there from Alex scholdon Good to Chat with him there in the locker room after the one to one draw. You could hear it in his voice. He was frustrated. The entire team was frustrated that they weren't able to hold on and get that win and weren't able to put a second goal in the back of the net when they had the chance. But listen, losing Obed Vargas to the red card. That's frustrating as well.
And I want to ask our next guest, Ari Lungenwall, if Obed is suspended for this first playoff game or if he suspended the first game next season because it was a regular season contest. It's an important question. I want to get his take on this entire Western Conference and how everything is shaping out. Lots of things to go over here with Ari, our good friend from mlssoccer
dot com and the podcast Lobbing Scorches. Ari joins us next here on Sounders Weekly on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders fc CL's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Welcome back, Jackson felt Sounders Weekly. Good to have you with us on this Wednesday night. We are just about five days now from Sounders facing the Houston Dynamo game one of the playoffs. We're going to preview that extensively throughout the rest of the night. Ari Lillienwall, who's on hold right now, and then Heesus Ossevedo Junior of the Bayou City and down in Houston, will join us in
our next segment. Before Ari hops on, I'll let you know that Sounders e FC Soccer is presented by Providence Swedish, the official healthcare partner of Sounders FC. Ari Lillian Wall host of the podcast Lobbing Scorches, which you can get wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. He's also a writer and editor for Mlsoccer dot Com. Ari, welcome back to the show, my friend. How are you.
I'm great, Jackson, looking forward to the playoffs. Love this time of year.
Yeah, we're just about what about twenty minutes away from Portland versus Vancouver in a location that White Cap fans are not very happy about.
I'd see if we can.
Carve out a minute to ask you about that game kicking off in twenty minutes. In just a few before we go there, though, we got to start with Sounders Portland and just the entire decision day for Seattle. I want to ask you about the officiating. I want to ask you a couple of specific questions, like if Obed Vargas is going to be out or if it translates then to the first game in next season. But before we get to any of that, let me just ask
you kind of the basic blunt question. Considering what happened in the Galaxy Houston game and considering Cascadia Cup goes to Parland, and considering how the game went to not get the win, could Decision Day have gone any worse for the Seattle Sounders.
I mean, it could have gone worse if they lost the game, you know, I think that would have been worse than still getting the point out of the draw.
But I mean it was definitely a frustrating results, not just because of the red card that you mentioned, but because I thought the performance in the game from the team was actually quite good to very good for a lot of it, and a really bad concession and a controversial red card meant that they kind of shot themselves in the foot and didn't didn't get a chance to get the three points out of it, but definitely, I don't know if it was the worst decision day that
any team had, but it was a frustrating one. Let's talk.
Oh, bet Vargas gets the double yellow. You know our friend Jeremiah sham sounder a hard He was the kind of the pool reporter who asked for the clarification, and you know, the referee basically just said it was a display of frustration in the direction of the referee, and it's sort of like, all right, well, in the direction of like come towards I think was the exact word, like come on here. There's there's a part of me that wants to ask about the officiating overall. Maybe I'll
do it in a second. First point of clarification, obed Vargas's red card does that apply to this first round, first playoff game or does it apply to the first game of next season.
Yeah, so, as I understand it, it goes into the playoffs, So he'll have to serve his red card suspension for this first playoff game. So they're not gonna have him. Her game won against Houston.
Well, it's a good time that Joel Paulo is healthy. Then he's off the injury report. Because JP is going to be needed next to Christian for sure, and hopefully Josh Atensio becomes kind of that depth piece in the holding midfield and he comes back from his head injury. But frustrating there, But thanks for the clarification. Let's talk about the officiating overall, because on top of that, just frustrating language that you know, the referee used after the
game in terms of that second yellow. In terms of I think the thing that bothered me and Brad Evans the most on the postgame show was the fact that every single time it seemed like the Sounders had a chance to play advantage and keep a play going and have a chance to be on a break and be you know, whether it's a you know, four on two or three on one, whatever, it just felt like the referee kept stopping play in the wrong times and it
feels like it happened three or four times. Was that something that you noticed as well, and how poor was the officiating over the course of the ninety minutes in your eyes?
Yeah, I mean, I think that's where all the frustration, or at least a lot of the frustration from the Seattle side started, was the sequences that you mentioned where the rep wasn't letting them play advantage. You rarely see Brian Schmetzer get super animated on the sideline like he
was getting during those sequences and the red car. The second yellow and Obed happened right after the Portland goal, so I think that also heightened tensions and frustrations, and it kind of boiled over after that, But it was I did think it was bizarre how he wasn't letting Seattle play advantage the second time that happened. In particular, it looked like Seattle would have had a pretty dangerous sequence in the aftermath if you had just played advantage
like you should have, So that was weird. I mean, as for the second yellow on Obed, I it's a subjective call. I don't like that call there, like the yellow for descent. It's an emotional game. It's a Darby game. Emotions run high, and I didn't think open unless he said something crazier out of pocket, which it did not look like he did, then I think that's one where you kind of you have to let players show motion on the field. So I thought that was a tough call.
And another thing I didn't like about it is that it seemed like it seemed like he didn't realize that Obed was already on a yellow and wouldn't have shown it to him if he had like processed in the moment that he was going to get sent off. But that should not be the criteria for why you give a yellow or not, you know, So I do think I do think the officiating was interesting in this game
to stay the least. But that being said, I mean, if Seattle is able to convert the one of the myriad of chances they had to get a second goal on top of that first goal, then they put themselves in a great position to probably win that game. So I think you do have to acknowledge that as well.
Aria Lunel was our guest. He hosts the podcast Lobbing Scorchers. He's a writer and editor for MLS Soccer dot Com. I hadn't thought about that point of the referee didn't
realize he was already on a yellow. That's a nice little perception point right there that I think, you know, if they if the referee truly didn't know, then you know, that's a big, big screw up right there, and it's it's a shame because It's a referee who had never even been part of this dark and when you're the head referee for a big, emotional, you know, rivalry game like this, you got to know these things and you
got to understand the tensions are high. So he in my book, I understand how you got to dance around it. In my book, it was an abject failure and he was an absolute embarrassment to pro there for Saturday's decision day match Sounders Portland. You know what, before we talk about the rest of MLS and go over decision day across the league, which was a wild decision day, let's first, because we're on the subject of Portland, talk about what's
happening here. In just about fifteen minutes, you got Timbers white Caps kicking off at Providence Park and I can see the photos and obviously Providence Park is decked out with you know, thousands and thousands, twenty thousand plus Timber fans. Although the Portland Timbers are the nine seed, they are supposed to be playing at the eight seed Vancouver white Caps, but Vancouver can't have the game at BC Place because
of a motocross event. As I stand and am I also understanding right that the MLS deemed that there was no other suitable location in the area at all, and this game tonight has to be played at the lower seed. They couldn't have found any better location than to have the lower seed hosting this damn game.
Yeah, I think you have that right, Jackson, Which is a very unfortunate turn of events for the Vancouver whitects, to say the least, and it actually undermined a lot of the drama that was supposed to happen in decision day with that matchup I think was supposed to be for who had hosting rights for that wildcard game, and then they found out beforehand that Portland gets the hosting
rights either way because of a motocross event. So, you know, anytime I see something like a motocross event taking over a team's home field and them not being able to host a playoff game there, I think it's a reminder that we as a league with MLS, have a fair amount of a way to go in terms of getting to where we want to go, and you know, we aren't get offered reminders of that at times. But as far as how it affects this situation, I mean that
is that is bad for the Vancouver white Caps. I mean, home field advantage in the playoffs is huge and they have a pretty good one, especially for big games at BC plays. So to have to change that to traveling to go into one of the hardest environments to play in in the league, in Portland, I mean that is a pretty tough break to start your playoff campaign.
I mean, God, if you're Vancouver, I would have just said, is there any way we can play it at lumin because at least then we're making some Portland fans travel. We know, we'll have a few thousand coming down from Vancouver, and you'd get a few thousand Sounder fans and they're just a boo the Timbers, like or was there an auto show happening at lumen Field ha ha ha. Then they couldn't just I.
Don't know if it makes sense to have a neutral site game in the playoffs when everyone else that has to contend with home field advantage in that type of I don't know. There might be a competitive balance.
Argument, frustrating for Vancouver and frustrating that Porlan gets the upper hand for the match kicking off in just a few minutes. That can be seen on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Fans can also watch all of Sounders and Houston Dynamo there. And this really does begin our Sharp Vision opponent a look taking a look ahead at Sounders versus Houston in the first round of the playoffs.
I'll mention that tonight's opponent alk is presented by Sharp Vision, Modern LESAC and Lens, the official Lasik provider of Sounders FC. Last week, Ari, you and I ranked of the three teams Sounders could face, Colorado, Houston, and Minnesota. I think we both had Houston as the third team we'd want to face. I know for you said Colorado and then Minnesota, and I had Minnesota then Colorado. But it ends up being the Dynamo. And that's a team that the Sounders face.
What three and a half weeks ago at Luminfield beat one nothing, but that was without Hector Herrera, right, So this is a good Houston team. There is a reason why we didn't want to face the Dynamo right here.
Yeah, No, they're not a bad team at all. I think they're a pretty similar team to Seattle. Honestly, I rate them in similar ways, not just because they finish close to each other. On the table. But I feel like they're like the way they play, their game models and the way their rosters are set up are kind of similar if you really, if you really look at it, like they're both very technically skilled and defensively sound teams that maybe don't have the firepower and attack that some
of the upper upper tier teams and MLS have. I think you could say that both of those teams have that quality, but they have some very good individual players, like you mentioned Hector Herrera. He's one of the best two way midfielders in the league for sure. And this new DP that they have is Zekiel Ponce seems like he's been started scoring some goals for them, so that's given them a little bit of a boost and attack.
But I think what you have here is a team that, like I said, is very defensively sound, pretty good at can they have a very good midfield, they're good at controlling the tempo of the games, and they're good in possession, much like Seattle is. So I think it's definitely a clash of kind of similar game models and skill sets
and who does it better. And you know, I do think Seattle is slightly favored in this scenario because the way I kind of look at it is like Seattle is a very slightly better version of what Houston is right now, and so in a scenario where they have home field advantage, I think they are a slight favorite with this really being a toss up series, two teams that I think are very similar in quality and play style.
We're gonna talk more about Houston with our next guest, Hasius Osceveto Junior coming up in the next segment here in Soner's Weekly. While we're talking Houston, I gotta get your Rea, and I know you were watching every single one of the games on Decision Day. You probably had all these different browsers with different games. Must have been fun there, And I'm wondering as La Galaxy versus Houston that game Decision Day was, I think the latest game
being played. It went one hundred and what three hundred and four minutes with the two goals in the ninety sixth minute and the one hundred and second minute to effectively bounce LA Galaxy from the one seed and give Houston the five seed and make Seattle have to go through LAFC. All of these you know, dimmer ramification, what was your reaction to that final ten minutes or so of that game between the Galaxy and Dynamo.
I mean, I think it just shows that the LA Galaxy, for as improved as they've been this season, you can't really change who you are at your core, you know, so watching them choke choke the number one seed in the final moment of the season, you know, it felt like it felt right, felt like the La Galaxy we've come to know and love over the last five or
so years since their run of dominance ended. But you know, I think it's unfortunate because lafc at the one seed, I don't think is when anyone necessarily wanted to see, and the Galaxy were in the driver's seat for that for this whole stretch run of the season and then blew it at the last second. But honestly, I mean, it was a very exciting ending to that game with Houston, like you said, but I can't say I was surprised to see the fate that befell the LA Galaxy because
that is kind of what they do. That's what they've been doing the last few years. So it made sense.
We were so close to having Sounders versus Minnesota and then Seattle having to go through the Galaxy to get to a West final, and then it completely flipped with Daniel Starez's header there in the one hundred and second minutes and all of our hearts sank. We'll only have a couple more minutes here, so let me switch quickly to the Eastern Conference. MESSI hat trick on decision Day. I know your vote for a couple of weeks, as we've talked, has been kuco Hernandez of Columbus being the
guy for MVP. Does And this is the last time I asked this. I promise you this is the last time I'll ask you. Does a hat on decision Day officially swing your official vote to MESSI?
Yeah. So I'm glad you asked this because we were talking through my end of season award ballot on our podcast on the last show, and as I was talking talking my way through it who I was voting for for MVP on our podcast, I came to the conclusion that it really does not can't. I can't rationally make sense of a vote for anyone else other than Messy's. And I came to that conclusion before Decision Day, and I literally I decided that that's who's getting my vote.
I think a guy with thirty two goal contributions in whatever it was, fourteen hundred minutes is there's really no reasonable argument for anyone else, even taking into account the fact that he hasn't played as much as the other candidates this year. And I feel good about it. I think it's the correct vote. I think it's the vote that everyone knows is the right vote if they're if they're judging it on the merits. So yeah, I officially made my decision on that, and Messi is getting my
MVP vote. And a fair amount of people disagree with me on that, but like I said, I feel good and convicted in it.
Yeah, no, and I agree with you. I think it's Messi too. That's where my votes go. And and I just would question the you know, listen, are we saying that Messi doesn't get MVP because he didn't play the thousand minutes? Or are we saying it? You know, I don't don't understand what the reasoning is of why he isn't getting MVP. He has the best numbers in the entire league, and he's played a thousand less minutes than everybody else if not more than a thousand less minutes.
So I don't understand it, but I'm with you. It's for sure, MESSI. Now, let's set the percentages here.
You know.
I was on Saturday or Sunday Sports Live, I think it was Fox thirteen on Sunday night, and Aaron Levine asked me for the percentage chance of the Sounders make an MLS Cup and I said it at about fifteen percent. My numbers are like thirty five percent chance laf see twenty five Galaxy, maybe like twenty RSL fifteen Seattle, and then five to the rest. Do those percentages sound about
right to you? And then I want to ask it for the rest of it involving Miami too, but just for the Western Conference, as I kind of run down the seating there and give an extra five to LAFC. Do you see those percentages kind of shaping out to be correct?
I think that sounds about right. When I look at this team's chances at making a MLS Cup run, I think there are a couple things working in their favor. Like they do have an elite defense which can take you pretty far come playoff time, and they do have players who are very experienced and proven in these moments,
and that can always benefit you come playoff time. But when I just look at the pass I mean, I think you're gonna have to go through a team that just has realistically quite a bit more firepower than Seattle has right now. Like when I look at both of the teams LAFC and the Galaxy, playing either one of those teams in a playoffs game is going to be a tall order when you just look at what those teams have in attack compared to what Seattle has had
this season. I just I would probably have to pick the team that has Ricky Pooge and Joseph Painzill or Denny Bowanga and the toos Bogus and the djrew in an individual game in that scenario. So I mean, yeah, I think the way you size it up is about how I would have it.
So let's throw it to MLS Cup overall, as the playoffs began here and we know Miami's healthy, set the over under, what is the percentage chance Miami walks away with both the Shield and MLS Cup.
I have that percentage as incredibly high, Like I really see that as like a seventy five to eighty percentile outcome. I mean, like I just I just think with them, I mean, assuming full health. Yeah, having watched a lot of their games this year and seeing what their ceiling is when S and the Barst Boys are playing, I think they are the best MS team I've ever seen. They're about as close to unstoppable when they're on their game as any like pro soccer team that I've ever watched.
So and I don't think any of the sort of praise they're getting for how well they've played and setting all these records is hyperbolic at all. I think it's the best MLS team I've ever seen. And when they get rolling, like I don't really I don't really see anyone who stops them, even Columbus. I don't think Columbus will stop them in the playoffs this year either.
I'm with you. I think we both have the same MLS pick, and that's Lionel Messi, you know, being MVP and taking home the Shield and taking home the MLS Cup. We're in the same boat there. I wouldn't go as high as seventy five eighty. That's so, that's it. But you're the expert here. That's why we turn to you for for all these smart comments. Ari have a great podcast. We'll all be listening to Lobbings Scorchers. Ihead a Sounders Houston game one next Monday. Have a good weekend and
we'll talk to you next week. But had a game two.
Thanks Jackson, appreciate it.
It's good stuff there from ARILLLIONALLMLS Soccer dot com and his podcast Lobbing Scorchers. Seventy five eighty percent. I don't think that number is maybe wrong, but boy, that sure is high. A quick note before we take a break, and that's that. Twenty twenty five Sounders season memberships are on sale. Now join the Sounders FC Legacy and secure your spot with the best fans in MLS.
Now.
Becoming a member is the best way to gain access to the club World Cup where working closely with FIFA to get our season members access to tickets including three Sounders matches. Members also have the access to MLS season pass ticket flexibility, our new training facility and clubhouse, plus more. Learn more at soundersfc dot com. Backslash tickets, backslash memberships. All right, let's talk Houston Dynamo. Let's get the scoop
on that entire team. Our good friend, heyesus Ossevedo Junior, who covers the Dynamo for the Bayoucitian down there in Houston. He'll join us next year in Sounders Weekly on Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Now back to Sounders Weekly on your home for Sounders fc clvil's Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Welcome back Sounders Weekly. Jackson Feldt is good to be with you right here. Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM. Sounders Weekly Every Wednesday. We thank our guests so far tonight Alex Rolledon and Ari Lillianwall. Check out the podcast Sounders Weekly wherever you get your podcasts, including the iHeartRadio app. Right after tonight's show ends, and we're going to continue previewing Round one. Game one Sounders in the playoffs is the four seed they're facing the five
seed Houston Dynamo. I think I said earlier tonight that for Pacific time it was a six o'clock pregium. It's actually gonna be a five thirty Providence Swedish pregame five thirty pm next Monday, kickoff right around six pm. It'll be over on Sports Radio nine to fifty KJR AM for Sounders and Dynamo folks. You can all so listen in Spanish like on l RA thirteen sixty and watch
the match on MS Season Pass on Apple TV. Somebody who we used to have on every single time the Sounders played the Dynamo, and we're playing them obviously up to three times here in this first round, so I need to make sure he got on Sounders weekly this week. It has been a long time between now and when we last spoke with Hey, sus Osceveto Junior, who writes and covers the Dynamo for the Bayoucitian down in Houston. Hey, Suss, it has been too long, my friend. How are you?
It has been to long Jackson. While I know that we communicated via Twitter.
You know, I hadn't heard your voice.
So it's good to be like, oh that's a Jackson towns.
So yeah, good good.
You're better off not hearing my voice for a long time, but it's good to hear yours, my friend. Listen, Hey, before anything else, we're gonna talk about the Dynamo and talk about your team down there. In a moment, I'll be coming down to Houston next week. I'm sure a lot of Sounders fans will be flying down to Houston next week. Send some recommendations. If we're down there is the barbecue and what kind of cuisine do we need
to search out when we're down in Houston. If we have one night, which will be for me Saturday night, I guess breakfast to on Sunday morning. If I have a couple of meals down there, where do I need to go in Houston? What type of food do I need to eat?
Well?
Shell Stadium is situated right in downtown Houston, so you're ryan the center of it all, you know. And one thing about Houston, I'll tell you can get any kind of food around the world in Houston. You know, you just got to go find it. But what Houston is known for, just like you mentioned, barbecue is one of those things. We have so many barbecues given our our are like, drive through barbecue is really top notch.
But that's just how can we you know, Papa's Barbecue shout out. That was my first job. I was a buzz boy. Uh But yeah, so that's an easy, very drive through Papas Barbecue. Never this appalling Mexican text lenk not. So we love here in Houston.
You know, we have aniphus on navigation, the colors, the mother of fajitas.
This restaurant has been here so long. Uh.
This old lady, Oh I leave this eagle. Uh person ing Uh. You known Infa she created the whole Pahita play.
So that's really down the street from from Shall Stadium. You're not too far.
So Saturday night, like if you're standing in downtown, that's maybe five.
Minutes from Shall Stadium, you know. Uh.
And then Sunday morning, you gotta get you some breakfast tacles. You know, right downtown there's brother Stackles. Is this join where the line forms early in the morning. It's kind of like the Bashal acting describe. Its kind of like a subway where you go and then you're like, give me a talk on that, Give me a talk.
On that, give talk for that.
You know, you you pick and choose, but.
I'm gonna I'm gonna give one shout out to this place that I go.
It's it's a mom and pop place.
And you know, now this is a little bit more down the road, maybe maybe ten twelve minutes down the road.
But this place is so authentic.
This restaurant doubles at the bus stops for tricks to Mexico. Right, that is Jackson authentic and you can love it.
Tacos a manchi?
Is that what you said?
Moncheese, mon cheese? And all right, so brothers, so brothers, tacos for the morning and Monchi's for the I love that. That's fantastic. Great recommendations. Will be sure to hit that well. Uh, you know, Hazus Osvedo Junior is our guest once again. He covers the Houston Dynamo for the Bayou City and down there in Houston, and man, it's been a while, so let's talk about these Dynamo. Obviously, we just saw him a few weeks ago here in Seattle and one
nothing win for the Sounders. But as you injured the playoffs as the five seed coming off of a decision to win over the Galaxy, what is the story of the Houston Dynamo season, haesus, the.
Story of the East This season, much like last season, you know when the middle runs to the Western.
Conference Finals, was a slow start.
You know.
Uh, this year's slow star was due to injuries.
You know.
Achiach was her uh and then a couple of people.
Had these you know naeive injuries and then you know, you know, getting the team and so they were not winning, but they weren't losing, right.
It was like a lot of draws, a lot of one zero wins once their lass you know, zero silver draws.
So they were just kind of getting together.
They finally picked it up around summer when when some of those injured players aren't coming back, mainly Achai is at any surprise that went hector.
Ed, I is playing the Dynamon doue better.
So once they started playing more games, started more consistent.
Uh, he just started picking the wins.
You know, and and that has led up to the search even with Achiata picking up an injury here in the in the last month of the season, Houston starting of talent, especially with that record signing of Konse Uh there you know need no number ten striker, which signos soph Barne.
As happy with his performance yet, but you know he did under in the middle of the season.
You know, I'm sure Seattle Sanders fans nobody likes to have a you know, deep coming.
In the middle of the season and try and get up to you know, emless speed but but yeah, this is a team that they're very talented. You know, uh, they're gonna love to possess the ball. You know, they're up there, which your Columbus screw as far as like we want the ball. The issue is they sometimes don't know what to do when they have to fall to get the ball to the back of the name Jackson. You know, I don't think I have to to to you know, remind you. But Seattle score the second few
is goals this season with fifty one. Only Houston scored more than that forty seven goals. So both of these two teams and it is scored a lot of goals. So we can see some two thier games one one game. So but yeah, but I know that's a long win. The answer to your question of what the dynamo this season, no, I.
Think it's a it's a good answer to the story of it because you know, like you mentioned, you know, getting a DP up to speed. We have this guy Pedro dalea Vega who's you know, been here since the start of the year, and because of injuries and whatnot, he's still getting up to speed. So so I hear you out on that front. But we're just hoping your guy doesn't get up to full speed just in time
for this playoff round. Now in the game up here in Seattle, just what three and a half weeks ago where the Sounders one one nothing Houston was without Hector Herrera having him back for at least the first and maybe all three games here in the first round of the playoffs. Uh what will he mean to your team? How much of a difference maker is Hector Herrera?
I don't know if I will.
Put the label a playmaker on him, you know, but more so than like.
Like the TikTok.
You know, he's like moving the ball left to right, keeping the keeping the dynamo within possessions.
He's finding spaces.
And then those spaces that key vacate in the midfield dollars get field up. You know, you'll Coco slipmore in size sometimes and have Dorsey spring up the right wing.
Uh. So, not a playmaker so much.
Maybe a tempo setter. Perhaps it's a you know, better word for them, but no, and.
It makes a big differ and you know they're they're able to Well, he's not a playmaker, he.
Still helps create the chances that may come. They may not put them in the back of the neck, right, So they're gonna get those.
Chances and you know, go into the game.
You know that was the one zero win by Seattle.
Houston had the opportunity, not as much as they had when Tector Rata is on the on the.
Field, Haysius, let's wrap it up with this, finish this sentence. The Houston Dynamo will win Game one in Seattle if they do.
If they go into the half, we're not having completed.
A go wow, that I mean, that's that's quite I mean, because this game could easily then get to zero zero at half. But you think you're so confident in the Dynamo that if it's zero zero at half, you think that Houston can come away with the win.
I think they can.
Maybe sneak away like a one zero win, like maybe they strike early, you know, and then they can not not bunk a right. But again, they didn't not to set the ball, so by possession of the ball, and that's gonna have to come.
Hey, w you score. We can't lose at home in front of all these fans. Now that they creates counter attack opportunities for Houston.
So but I think it could be if it's Heresday has the Concio goal.
Houston could win the game one, one zero.
But you know, Shatto always has the late playoff magic moments.
I'm sure I don't have to tut.
That's exactly right. We come up with the you know, ever since you know, the playoff run Nelson Valdez in twenty sixteen, and obviously we faced you guys in twenty seventeen and got past Houston. I believe Will Bruins scored in that series. That was a great series for us up here. But we'll see if we can rite another great playoff chapter between our teams here in these next you know, hopefully two games, but we'll see if it goes three. Overall, I'll see you down in Houston in
about a week and a half. Hey, suss enjoyed the game coming up next Monday. Thanks so much for joining us.
Man sounds good, Jackson.
I was definitely here here.
Let's let's let's enjoy some Monday night football.
Yes we will. Hey, sus Oscevedo junior rights and covers the Houston Dynamo for the Bayou City and always love talk to haesus. Way back when before we had weekly Apple TV broadcaster interviews, going back to the days where we used to bounce around the nation. I love having Hayesus on and good to chat with him there ahead of Game one, which will again be next Monday night, five thirty Providence, Swedish Premade Show six o'clock kickoff, nine
to fifty KJR AM. We'll have the game, you know, so listen in Spanish language on l Ray thirteen sixty and of course watch MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Some great recommendations there from Aesus. I'll make sure to hit those up there when we head to Houston in a week and a half. Brothers, Tacos, tacos in the morning, breakfast tacos sounds really damn good. Tacos sounds good right now. I'm about to get off the air, go home'd be
great to have some drive through barbecue two here. All of that sounds good for Houston when we travel in a week. But before that, let's go get a Sounders win in game one. We'll talk to you next Monday five thirty on nine to fifty AM for Sounders and Dynamo